Does this drive anyone else crazy as well?

"Bob Smith, a bored accountant, has the day from hell when yada yada yada..."

What's the relevance of adding Bob Smith's name to the logline? Doesn't "bored accountant" suffice? You're wasting valuable space and sending a message to the professional reader that more wasted space is coming in the script, IMO...

A little less offensive, but still a bit offputting IMO is the first name only:

"Jim has a night he'll never forget."

Again, wouldn't it be more descriptive to call Jim a young man, old man, idiot, etc.?

The proper names drive me crazy. Interested in your thoughts.

Like this?...

Greg Samuels, a rich businessman, throws her wife a surprise birthday party. But things go awry when her boyfriend shows up.

Her wife?


Phil

Quoted from dogglebe Her wife?

AJ's point exactly. If you can't get that down properly, then what's your script going to look like?

That was a logine from one of the scripts that were just posted.

I didn't want to comment on the original post; my strength isn't up yet.

Using names isn't necessary in a logline unless you're dealing with familiar characters:

"When George Washington cut down the cherry, he never imagined the hell that he unleashed."


Phil

Exactly, Pia. Rich businessman would suffice...

I think I could make exceptions if:

The character's name was funny - like Milo Minderbinder, for example.

Or if it's a true story and the character is a person from history.

Or if a fictional character is supposed to be famous in the film.

Or if it's a first name only and it starts a sentence properly - i.e., "Jim finds out that the road trip he's on is the one straight to hell", etc.

Other than that, you need to tell me about Bob Smith - his name doesn't tell me if he's 20, 80, a professional, an idiot, etc.

Circumision is an unfilmable - unless he's wearing VERY tight pants...

Quoted from ajr Circumision is an unfilmable - unless he's wearing VERY tight pants...

When your super-sized, all your pants are very tight.

Believe me.  I know.


Phil

Ah. A little glimpse into the origin of the sock puppet...

I agree AJR. I don't even use the first name. I'd hate to have someone NOT read my script because some guy named Jim had pissed her off. An accountant at least tells you more than their name.

A worse problem is when the logline has several names in it:

"When Sally, Joey, Peter and Susie have mechanical failure on a deserted road..."

"Four teens" is sufficient.


Phil

I don't see the need for a proper name in a logline.
Real life figures are a different matter, of course.
It's more important we know who Jim is and what he does than his name.
I wasn't gonna go there with the recent upload fitting this post.
I see other already have, so yeah, it turned me off from reading that one too. =p

E.D.

P.S. Back to compiling my Mafia Dogs notes!

The only time I think it is good to have the character's name in the logline is if the film is about that character. i.e. I don't mean if the film is about a bank robbery that the character takes part in, more if the film is clearly is about that character and anything else that happens is only there to serve the main plot - which is the development of that character.

That I think works well as it makes it clear right from the logline that this is a character study more than anything.

I think these films are few and far between though. I just checked IMDB for "A Serious Man' and they use his name in the logline.

Anyone know where the official loglines can be found for movies? I have no idea if IMDB use the original loglines or not, I suspect they don't.

There are times when you can get away with names (though only first names, IMHO).  If you have a rom-com, you could get away with "John's dream date with Mary takes a turn for the worst..."  It sounds better than "A guy's dream date with a girl..."

Exceptions might happen when contributing factors are brought about the characters:  "John's dream date with his boss' daughter..."

Posting full names is a bozo no-no unless you're using real people as characters.


Phil